Main description:

Diagnosis is a practically-oriented guide to the complex reasoning, observations, and judgment that health professionals draw on to make a clinical diagnosis. Built on the cornerstone of the patient-physician relationship, this volume combines rigorous yet accessible conceptual analysis with actionable strategies for navigating uncertainty, making effective use of diagnostic tests, and understanding the economic, interpersonal, and ethical considerations
influencing diagnosis. Across six chapters, Ashley Graham Kennedy tackles such thorny issues as overdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and new complications from the Covid-19 pandemic, supplemented by carefully chosen medical case studies. In so doing, she demonstrates that even "ordinary" cases require a delicate
balance of medical and ethical considerations in order to promote the patient's physical and mental well-being. Ultimately, this volume demonstrates that clinical diagnosis is not just about acquiring knowledge but also facilitating the health of the people it serves.

With clarity and compassion, Diagnosis illuminates the ethical and philosophical underpinnings of the diagnostic process for the medical practitioner.

Contents:

Acknowledgments
Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: Setting the Stage

Chapter 2: Testing

Chapter 3: Decision-Making

Chapter 4: Handling Uncertainty

Chapter 5: Avoiding Over- and Under-Diagnosis

Chapter 6: Practicing Diagnostic Justice

Conclusion

References